Phia Faces Cookie Stuffing Accusations Over Affiliate Sales Credit

Phia, the shopping startup co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, has been accused of “cookie stuffing,” a practice that can allow a product to receive commissions and sales credit it did not actually generate. TechCrunch cites a Bloomberg investigation, along with findings from an independent consultant and a competitor. The allegation centers on whether Phia’s browser-extension-style shopping tool improperly inserted its own affiliate referral information during checkout.

Phia was founded in 2025 and has raised more than $40 million in funding, according to TechCrunch. The company built an app as a browser extension that works somewhat like Google Flights for shopping, helping users compare prices across retailers and find discount codes. Phia earns commissions on purchases made through its platform, a common model known as affiliate marketing.

The reported issue is that Phia could open a new tab in the background when a user shopped at an online retailer, even if the user arrived independently or through another affiliate program. During checkout, Phia allegedly overrode other referral codes and injected its own, potentially allowing it to claim credit for sales it did not drive. TechCrunch reports that the controversy led to Phia’s suspension from Impact.com, an affiliate and influencer platform.

After the issue was flagged, a Phia spokesperson told Bloomberg that necessary changes had been made, and Bloomberg’s follow-up check found the issue had been resolved. TechCrunch reported that it reached out to Phia for comment and had not received a response. The key open question is whether the fix will satisfy retailers and affiliate partners that work with the company.